Kirkby man drink drove the day after his birthday

Court Reporter

A Kirkby man nearly hit the central reservation while over the limit a day after his wing-mirror was clipped off following a collision, a court heard.

Shaun Cornwall said “Sorry about that mate” when his silver Kia Sedona clashed with a Ford Kuga, on Kingsway, on Friday, September 8.

He then drove off, and the Kuga driver told police that Cornwall appeared to be drunk, said prosecutor Joanne Reynolds.

The next day, at around 8.30pm, a police officer spotted him narrowly missing the central reservation on Low Moor Road, and stopped him. A test revealed he had 73 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of alcohol when the legal limit is 35 microgrammes.

Cornwall, 44, of Poplar Avenue, admitted driving with excess alcohol, driving without insurance and failing to stop after an accident, when he appeared at Mansfield Magistrates Court, on Monday.

Rebecca Williams, mitigating, said: “He spoke to the driver and apologised. He said the other driver walked away but he accepts failing to properly exchange details.”

She said he had celebrated his birthday the night before, and had a “couple of drinks which he says must have tipped him over the limit.”

Ms Williams said Cornwall had two children who need regular medical treatment at the QMC, in Nottingham, and Great Ormond Street Hospital, in London, and the ban would impact him and his family.

Cornwall was banned from driving for 22 months, but was offered a drink drive rehabilitation course which will reduce the length of the disqualification by 167 days if completed by December 2018.

He was fined £210 and was ordered to pay £85 court costs and a £30 victim surcharge.